Tag: Taiwan

Like anyone, I was nervous when I first decided to teach in Taiwan. As the day of departure grew close, all sorts of worries ran through my head. Would I like living in Taiwan? Would I be safe there? Could I stomach the infamous smell of Stinky Tofu?
A year later, this small country had come to feel like home. Here are 5 of the things that make Taiwan such a great place to teach English.

If you’ve an avid reader of the wonderful Reach To Teach community blog, then you already know that I’ve given up kimchi and replaced it for stinky tofu. Although I’m not sure where I got the idea, I had idiotically assumed that the move from Korea to Taiwan would be a breeze. After all, they’re both Asian countries with Eastern cultures right, so how different could they be? I’m so embarrassed to even share that dumb thought with you, but it’s true.

If you know me then you will know that food is a big deal to me, hailing from a family of chefs I have always been raised around different kinds of foods and I am a far cry from a fussy eater. Breakfast is also a big deal to me, it’s the fuel that starts this engine in the morning and I don’t take that lightly. When I came to teach English in Taiwan I was excited to see what people ate for breakfast here. Living in a western breakfast bubble of toast, cereal and the full English breakfast I was ready to have my bubble popped and eyes opened to the delectable delights that the mysterious Taiwan had to offer.

This carnival post will not focus on the people I met along the way, as much as the past few paragraphs may have you think. Instead I shall be focusing on the person that was there with me for the most part of my travels. She has been my best friend for a very long time and it has been a roller-coaster of a time travelling with her, she is my very good friend, Hannah.

Technology is a funny thing, it has grown and grown at a phenomenal speed and we constantly live in a world of progression where technology makes everything easier. But is that the case for teaching?

Making mistakes in teaching is all part of the learning curve. Teachers aren’t just pumped out of a TEFL course with all of the skills and knowledge base of a teacher that has been doing ESL for 20 years has. This is a skills based industry and we all know that skills aren’t just learnt from a textbook, they need to be planted in a classroom and watered with time. With enough nurturing you watch your teaching skills blossom and flourish. And even then, mistakes can still be made.

If part one of the “8 travel blogs sure to make your travel bug itch” didn’t satiate your virtual wanderlust, hopefully this week’s part two will! The amazing bloggers that have made today’s list are experts in the art of backpacking, traveling on a budget, and scouting out the best hidden restaurants and pubs in any country. These addictive websites are the perfect place to spend a few hours learning how to pack a neat and tidy backpack, which pub has the best and cheapest beer in London, and which luxurious hotel in Paris is the perfect choice for you.

An actual conversation that occurred shortly before I moved to China in 2010: My Friend: You’re moving to China? Me: That’s right. My Friend: You’re crazy. Completely nuts. (making “cuckoo eyes” at me) Me: Why? Why is that so crazy? Lots of people do it. My Friend: Because they all speak Chinese there! You’ll probably die.…
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